Thistleclaw's Ambition
by Feline Scribbler
Summary: Destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out. Bluefur saw her destiny clear as daylight when Thistleclaw stepped onto the Highrock, named as deputy. She has chosen to walk the path of blood when she came to the crossroads of destiny. Was it the right choice for ThunderClan? During/post-Bluestar's Prophecy. Review.
1. Prologue

_Formerly known as Ambition. This is my official rewrite, being updated four weeks after the one year anniversary of the old version, Feb 17th. -.-' March 9th is now the new date. Enjoy the prologue. Give suggestions. I will consider some suggestions. Review. I know you love me._

_~Rai_

* * *

Paw steps echoed around the hollow of stone, making the frozen air shatter like glass. A pool of stagnant water sat at the bottom of the scooped out hollow, reflecting the dark light of the new moon. The warriors of StarClan glittered coldly above in a streak of silver. From the frost-dusted bushes, a cat came. Lithe and powerful, the white warrior settled by the sandy edge. Her eyes were purple, speckled with the light of the stars. Flicking its tail, it motioned for another to come creeping out. A massive tom with a fiery pelt the color of autumn leaves sat on the edge of a rock that jutted out over the pool of still water. His paws were large and white, flexing thorn-sharp claws. He narrowed his amber eyes to slits. "Why have you summoned us, Star? Our time has long passed."

The white shecat said nothing, just twitched an ear to acknowledge his words. A black shecat with smoldering green eyes stalked from the rim of the hollow down to the rocky water's edge, sneering at the tom. "Your Clan are what summoned us, Thunder. A mute cat shouldn't have to answer."

Another cat, a long-furred silver tom, leaped down from the hollow's edge. Another shecat, thin and wiry, followed. The tom stalked around the flame cat, hissing. "Your precious ThunderClan have done wrong. Wind and I agree on it."

Thunder sprang to his paws and yowled, "All cats have done wrong in their time! Even StarClan, River!"

Wind unsheathed her claws. "Oh, really? Explain to us why your Clan is always causing trouble!"

Star, silent and sitting next to five bloomed flowers, hooked a golden thunderflower on her claw and threw it in the pool. The water swallowed the bloom like a hungry beast and glowed. A beam of celestial white light shot from the pool and into the sky, splitting the inky sky in two. Thunder crackled around the hollow, electrifying the cats' fur and making them yowl in fear. The halves, blood-red and ice blue, clashed at each other. Sparks of the stars traced the sky in wispy plumes. The moon in the center of the fighting shattered to pieces, scattering its cosmic dust into the pool. The world around them plunged into darkness.

For a moment, no cat spoke, biting back their words in fear. Then, suddenly, the water below swirled, glowed, and showed an vision of a queen with three kits. The leaders were standing in the warm den as the cats slept in a blue-gray and white pile, snuggling for warmth as the wind and snow outside battered the indestructible den. The wiry tan-brown leader paced to the edge of the nest and growled at it, the light marring her face. "Them!" The vision faded in a flame of red.

Thunder's shoulders had sagged when he recognized the cat. He held his tongue as Wind stalked behind him and hissed into his ear, "That cat there has failed to uphold its destiny."

Shadow and River padded over to the former leaders. River whisked his thick, plumy tail. "Star has more."

The second flower, a white and black shadowblossom sat gently on the water's surface, before sinking. The water below glowed onyx and maraschino, before a funnel of dark energy coursed toward the sky. A star-silhouette of a dark tabby with a break in his tail stood over the body of a kit, red stars creating his paws. Smoke rose from the funnel and clouded around the leaders. Kits charged around them, led by the dark tabby, blood tainting their fur and the air. The image imploded and faded into dark silence, before an earsplitting screech broke the fearful moment. Moonlight once again bathed the hollow. Shadow's eyes betrayed her sorrow, reflected the light, and her pelt bristled.

The next bloom, a pale white windflower, frothed the water as it landed. The image stirred up a gale of wind as it exploded into light. Wind's eyes stretched wide with terror as she stared around her in the vision. Cats were running, pounding the ground as they fled in terror from a horrid monster cat. Claws ravaged the dens around them and shredded any warrior in its path. A warrior, its pelt hidden by the darkness, leaped onto the monster cat and ripped at it. The enemy flung the cat to the ground, and it lay unmoving. The monster jumped onto the fallen warrior and tore it to bloody shreds, ripping and gnashing without mercy. Wind's eyes flooded with pain. "No! Not you!" As she jumped to her paws, the imagery attenuated away. Wind sank to the ground, covering her head with her paws. "No...! My Clan..."

Star's eyes were dull as she dropped a white and silver flower into the water, a riverbloom. It glowed and faded into darkness. Then, suddenly, there were cats all around, scrabbling the ground with jaws parted in silent pleas. River inched backwards, trying to avoid an illusionary tom that hacked up a clot of bile tinged with red, before falling onto his flank. He lay very still. A shecat ran up to him and howled in pain, sinking to her belly. A cat dashed around the vision with leaves stuffed in its jaws. Every cat it touched faded to mist. It turned its pained eyes on River. Before the former RiverClan leader could open his mouth, the scene flickered into light and dimmed.

The old ThunderClan leader leaped to his paws. Before he could pad around to Star, Wind bowled her over. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you destroying my precious Clan?"

Shadow ripped the wiry shecat from the starry warrior. "Don't! She won't show us what is wrong if you attack her."

River stood up, eyes clouded. "There is no point. The Clans will all perish."

Thunder, in the midst of Wind's attack, noticed a final flower by the pool's edge. It was a red rose with jagged black claw-like marks. He picked it up in his teeth and threw it in the pool. A small voice seemed to rage behind him. "_No!_"

Star, jaws wide in a silent plea and bristling in fear, jumped up from her spot behind Shadow and scrabbled up the side of the hollow. She slid down as dark energy pulsated from the water. No, not water, _blood. _The blood overflowed from the scoop and flooded the hollow, sweeping the StarClan cats away. As they pushed against the tide, a set of glowing amber eyes shone in the dark sky. White teeth bared and thorn-sharp claws tore at the cats, ripping their fur and sending whirling them into a dry chasm. They five cats shook the red from their fur. Star's purple eyes glared at Thunder in fear. They seemed to say, _we are going to perish._

"How are we going to get out?" Wind shrieked. The sides were oozing in red, smooth and smoldering to the touch. Fire crackled around the lips of the cliffs, bringing ash and smoke flooding into the gap.

A trickle of red flowered from a crack and down the side of the chasm. River screeched and tried to run. His paws skidded on the slippery ground and he crashed into a wall and fell, unconscious. Shadow gripped his scruff and tried to scale the wall. She barely made it a tail length before a wave of hot, dry wind swirled around them.

The red burst from the wall and consumed the five warriors. Thunder paddled furiously against the viscous liquid, watching as Shadow and River sank under their weight. Wind was sucked into a whirlpool of frothing shades of cerise. Star tried to dive after her, but did not resurface. Thunder felt his energy ebbing. He stared into the sky. Stars were whirling in a spiral, turquoise, white and carmine. They exploded into darkness, making the moon fade into black.

Thunder gave up his efforts of swimming, of surviving. The last thing he saw was a tsunami of blood and his four other leaders, rushing down the endless tide of blood he saw in his precious Clan's future. The last thing he heard was a cackle of laughter and three words jumbled together.

Thistleclaw.

Leader.

_Blood_.


	2. Allegiances

**Ambition Allegiances**

* * *

**ThunderClan**

**Leader: Sunstar—**bright ginger tom with yellow eyes

**Deputy: Thistleclaw—**gray tom with three darker legs, darker ears and tail, a white–tipped tail, white tinged around his muzzle, and spiky fur

**Medicine Cat: Goosefeather—**speckled gray tom with pale–blue eyes

**_Apprentice–_ Spottedpaw**

**Warriors: Adderfang—**mottled brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Stormtail—**blue–gray tom with blue eyes

**Sparrowpelt—**big, dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Smallear—**gray tom with very small ears and amber eyes

**Thrushpelt—**sandy–gray tom with a white flash on his chest, and green eyes

**Robinwing—**small, energetic brown she–cat with a ginger patch on her chest, and amber eyes

**Fuzzypelt—**black tom with fur that stands on end

**Speckletail—**pale tabby she–cat with amber eyes

**Dappletail—**dappled tortoiseshell she–cat

**White–Eye—**pale–gray she–cat with her left eye "clouded and sightless"

**Leopardfoot—**black she–cat with green eyes

**Patchpelt—**black–and–white tom with amber eyes

**Rosetail—**tortoiseshell–and–white she–cat with a pinkish–orange tabby tail

**_Apprentice–_ **Mistypaw

**Lionheart—**big golden tabby tom with green eyes and thicker fur around his neck like a lion's mane

**_Apprentice–_ **Mosspaw

**Goldenflower—**pale–ginger she–cat with a torn ear

**_Apprentice–_ **Stonepaw

**Tigerclaw—**dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes

**Whitestorm—**large white tom with wide amber eyes

**Frostfur—**white she–cat with dark–blue eyes

**Brindleface—**dappled gray tabby she–cat with green eyes

**Redtail–**a small, dark, dappled tortoiseshell tom with a distinctive, bushy tail as red as fox fur, and feathered ears

**Willowpelt– **slender, lean, hard muscled, very pale, silver–gray she–cat with unusual blue eyes.

**Apprentices:**

**Spottedpaw– **small, slender, dark orange–and–brown[13] tortoiseshell–and–white she–cat with a distinctive dappled coat, small white paws, a white chest, and a white muzzle. Apprentice to medicine cat

**Mistypaw—**blue–gray she–cat with blue eyes

**Stonepaw—**gray tom with amber eyes

**Mosspaw—**gray–and–white she–cat with green eyes

**Mousepaw—**small dusky brown she–cat with pale–yellow eyes

**Runningpaw—**swift, slender light brown tabby tom

**Queens: ****Bluefur—**blue–gray she–cat with blue eyes

**Elders: Larksong—**tortoiseshell she–cat with pale–green eyes

**Stonepelt—**gray tom

**Windflight—**gray tabby tom with pale–green eyes

**Poppydawn—**long–haired, dark red she–cat with a bushy tail, and amber eyes

* * *

**ShadowClan**

**Leader:Cedarstar—**very dark–gray tom with a white belly

**Deputy:Raggedpelt—**large dark–brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat: Sagewhisker—**white she–cat with long whiskers

**Apprentice, Yellowfang—**dark gray she–cat with bright orange eyes

**Warriors: Brackenfoot—**pale ginger tom with dark ginger legs, father of Russetpaw and Sparkpaw, mate of Firetail

**Archeye—**gray tabby tom with black stripes and a thick stripe over his eye

**Hollyflower—**dark gray–and–white she–cat

**Apprentice, Antpaw**

**Cloudpelt—**white tom with pale–blue eyes

**Fawntail—**pale–brown she–cat with tabby–striped paws and amber eyes

**Apprentice, Sparkpaw**

**Whitestripe—**light brown she–cat with white stripes all across her back and pelt, sister of Fawntail, mother of Blackpaw

**Apprentice, Russetpaw**

**Firetail—**dark ginger she–cat with dark green eyes and a tabby–striped tail

**Apprentice, Blackpaw**

**Apprentices: Antpaw—**dark brown tom

**Sparkpaw—**pale–ginger she–cat with light gray paws and amber eyes

**Russetpaw—**dark ginger she–cat with green eyes

**Blackpaw—**white tom with jet–black paws

**Queens: Lizardstripe—**light brown tabby she–cat with a white underbelly and yellow eyes, foster mother of Brokenkit

**Kits: Brokenkit—**dark brown tabby tom with bright orange eyes, and a tail bent in the middle like a broken branch

**Elders: Featherstorm—**brown tabby she–cat

**Poolcloud—**gray–and–white she–cat

* * *

**WindClan**

**Leader:Heatherstar—**pinkish–gray she–cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Applepaw**

**Deputy:Reedfeather—**light brown tabby tom

**Apprentice, Onepaw**

**Medicine Cat:Hawkheart—**mottled dark brown tom with yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Barkpaw**

**Warriors: Dawnstripe—**pale gold tabby she–cat with creamy stripes

**Apprentice, Ashpaw**

**Redclaw—**dark ginger tom

**Talltail—**black–and–white tom with a very long tail and amber eyes

**Apprentice, Morningpaw**

**Shrewfur—**pale–brown she–cat with green eyes

**Spottedtail—**long–haired white she–cat with a pitch black tail that has dark ginger patches on it, mother of Morningpaw and Applepaw

**Apprentices: Morningpaw—**tortoiseshell she–cat

**Applepaw—**tortoiseshell she–cat with a dark–ginger tail

**Ashpaw—**gray she–cat with blue eyes

**Onepaw—**small mottled brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a white muzzle

**Elders: Whiteberry—**small, pure–white tom

* * *

**RiverClan**

**Leader:Crookedstar—**huge light brown tabby tom with green eyes and a twisted jaw

**Deputy:Timberfur—**brown tom

**Medicine Cat:Brambleberry—**pretty white she–cat with black spotted fur, blue eyes, and a strikingly pink nose

**Apprentice, Mudpaw**

**Warriors: Rippleclaw—**black–and–silver tabby tom

**Owlfur—**brown–and–white tom

**Ottersplash—**white–and–pale–ginger she–cat

**Apprentice, Leopardpaw**

**Oakheart—**reddish–brown tom with amber eyes

**Willowfur—**gray–and–brown tabby she–cat, sister of Graypool

**Apprentice, Fleckedpaw**

**Graypool—**gray she–cat with yellow eyes

**Amberstripe—**long–haired silver she–cat with brown curvy stripes around her paws, legs, and tail, sister of Icestorm

**Apprentices: Mudpaw—**long–haired light brown tom

**Leopardpaw—**golden tabby she–cat with unusual, mottled brown spots, and amber eyes

**Fleckedpaw—**light brown she–cat with unusual dappled golden flecks

**Queens: Lilystem—**pale–gray she–cat, expecting kits

**Icestorm—**silver tabby she–cat with amber eyes, mother of Crookedstar's kits: Silverkit, Dewkit, and Orangekit

**Kits: Silverkit—**silver–gray tabby she–cat with bright–blue eyes

**Dewkit—**gray tabby she–cat with dappled silver spots, and a black tabby–striped tail

**Orangekit—**dark gray tabby tom with dark orange eyes, and a bright ginger tail

**Elders: Troutclaw—**elderly gray tabby tom

**Featherstorm—**light brown she–cat


	3. Vision Of Blood

**_EDIT: Thanks to NAcha'z Ninja, San child of the wolves, Thisty, Leopardheart121, Anon user leturtlewings and DauntlessFlame for reviewing.  
_****_Dauntless, I fixed that one bit, Mistykit/paw. Thanks for catching that._**

_Funny how I had Thistleclaw get two special goodies in one day. *evil cackle* This kitty's about to gain some major power becoming deputy. What is his first step in his nefarious plan? Read to find out. Review also please._

_~Rai_

* * *

_"I name Thistleclaw as ThunderClan's new deputy."_

Sunstar voice rang from Highrock and echoed through the ravine. His fiery pelt was gleaming in the sunlight. Tawnyspots, the greyish tabby standing by the new deputy, nodded painfully, hunching over as a cough racked his body. He looked as fragile as a newborn kit next to Thistleclaw, almost like a weak shadow. The now-former deputy struggled to his paws and hobbled away.

"I promise to make ThunderClan as mighty as LionClan, I swear." The mighty warrior shot a hidden grin of satisfaction at Bluefur with slitted amber eyes. Snarling, the queen passed the brambles into the nursery, settling into her nest. The bracken crinkled under her paws as she stroked her kits with her tail. They were old enough to become apprentices now, and they overflowed from the nest in a tangle of gray and white tails and paws. She was glad she didn't give them up to Oakheart as she had once pondered moons ago. They were all she had left, and she couldn't sacrifice them after Snowfur and Moonflower's untimely deaths.

Shaking the thought away, she wondered about Thistleclaw. Would he lead his Clan into blood, or to power as he had promised? _If only this prophecy didn't exist..._

Everything led back to Thistleclaw and the foretelling of fire. Maybe if she was a RiverClan cat, all would be easier. She could stand by Oakheart with his moonlit fur, confirm the safety of her kits without the risk of drowning in red tides, avoid the trail of hardship StarClan set her paws on.

_Get it together, Bluefur! _She was a ThunderClan cat, and StarClan laid a path out for her to follow. But it was too late. She failed StarClan's plan.

Bluefur looked out into the night to see Thistleclaw standing on Highrock alone. She whipped her tail aggravatingly. The queen stopped mid-lash and froze all together as she had a vision of him.

_He was standing on a bloody Great Rock, head arrogantly high. His paws were covered in red, dripping from his thistle-like claws, digging extensive trenches into the unbreakable stone. Cats below were ominously chanting 'Thistlestar'. Two shadowy cats she identified as Adderfang and Tigerclaw stood on either side of him, claws glinting in the moonlight. The moon was a sheer silver disk, not a cloud en route._

_Thistlestar raised his head to Silverpelt, smirking. His amber eyes began to glow, then shone to blot out the light. His body grew, covering the stretch of Silverpelt. With a jump, he raked his bloodstained claws across the sky, bringing with it a rainfall of blood and celestial spirits of StarClan. The dark-hearted cats below yowled in glee as the blood washed around their paws._

_A wave of fresh red swept through Fourtrees, taking the bodies of fallen cats. Sunstar was one, pelt matted dark from the ocean of blood. His eyes rolled back, his tongue lolled, the red consumed his corpse. Bluefur gasped in horror from her perch on the hollow's edge as she saw her own body bob from under the surface. The kits were being tossed along like ragdolls yowling and gasping for one last breath of air, and Thrushpelt disappeared from view, his paw floating alone, then was swept fully away by the reeking tide. Oakheart himself was dying at her paws, snagging his claws in her fur. He parted his jaws to utter one word. "Why?..." Before she could react, a black-capped wave of cerise sent him churning helplessly into the sea of death._

_Thistlestar yowled an order and the Great Rock shot skywards, commanding the whole forest. Red eyes glared from the shadowy trees and the lip of the hollow, yowling pure contempt and showing snow white teeth sharper than thorns. Blood drained into the moon darkly as the sky morphed into a bright maraschino. Bluefur turned around to escape the scene in front of her. Her ears flattened and her fur bristled as she tried to shut everything out: the sounds of battle, the sight of red, the smell of fury and fear, the taste of blood, the feeling of slippery scarlet under her paws. She couldn't take it._

_A cackling laugh rang through the clearing. Bluefur covered her ears from her crouch on the ground, feeling blood seep into her belly fur. Not another prophecy! In the voice of Thistlestar, it rang out,** 'A new star shall shine high above Silverpelt. It will send red shadows of despair through the whole forest. Drenched in blood... Coated in thistles... It's rule will last throughout the ages. Only fire will stand to challenge this leader to bring peace to the forest again.'** She looked up once more. Thistlestar was staring straight at her, eyes blank and haunted. A twisted smile covered his face, and he leaped, landing on her, claws digging into her shoulders, teeth meeting her neck–_

Her eyes flew open, but the den was still dark with night. Thistleclaw had left for the warriors' den long ago; his scent was faint in the moon-washed clearing. Bluefur visibly quivered, the vision of him replaying over and over in her mind. 'Blood... So much blood...' She sank her claws into the bracken of her nest and pulled her kits closer. "I'll never let anything hurt you. You or ThunderClan." She began to close her eyes once more, feeling a fitful sleep nagging at the back of her mind. "I am fire. _I am fire_..."

When she woke, sunlight was weakly streaming in the den. Her eyes jolted open when she felt the emptiness of the nest. She stood up and whirled around, then froze. The kits were carrying a huge squirrel, almost half the size of Stonekit. Snow dusted their whiskers, mud splashed their pelts and bits of bracken and dead leaves clumped their paws. "Eat up, Bluefur!" Mosskit squeaked, nosing it to her.

She was astonished for two reasons. One, it was the best bit of prey she had seen since leafbare started. Two, the kits had left out on their own. Why hadn't the high and mighty Thistleclaw on watch seen them? "Where did you get this?"

"We went out when you were sleep! It was really cold outside, but we found it nibbling on a nut, so Stonekit scared it, Mosskit chased it, and I killed it!" Mistykit held her head up, blue eyes proud.

_Furballs. _"You knew better than to go out."

The kits sank onto their soft-furred bellies. "We just wanted to help the Clan," Mistykit murmured.

"Yea," Stonekit pressed, "We aren't helpless."

Mosskit nodded in agreement. Bluefur knew she couldn't chastise fiercely enough with three pairs of sparkling azure eyes watching her.

She sighed. "I can't stay mad at you fluffballs." She batted at Stonekit and purred when he swiped back. "If Sunstar doesn't make you apprentices today, then I'm a mouse. I want you to find him for me."

The kits' eyes lit up with exhilaration and tumbled out of the nursery into a furry pile. Pride rushed through her, spilling into her paws. _They are going to be natural warriors, I can truly tell._

"What are you kits doing?" An annoyed meow sounded through the brambles, betraying Redpaw's voice. Bluefur peered through the snow-caked entrance to the nursery and saw her kits facing off with the crimson-tailed apprentice, ears flat, excepting Mosskit.

"We were just getting Sun– mmph!" Mistykit was cut off by her gray-white-furred sister slapping a paw over her muzzle.

"Getting sun...warmed...moss...? Featherwhisker... said we could for Bluefur?" Mosskit gulped with her voice wavering as she made up the moss temperature.

Redpaw looked absolutely baffled. "What?"

"Nothing! The hunger is just getting to her, heh heh..." Stonekit quickly intervened and pushed in front of Mosskit while shrugging. "She's become delirious."

"No, I haven't!" She shoved her brother, facing the confused tomcat. "What's it to you?" She was probably the only one of her siblings who wasn't intimidated by him and she wasn't afraid to show it. Maybe she liked him, or hated him; Bluefur couldn't tell.

"Being a senior apprentice, you should listen to me. I deserve respect from a kit who's too young to even provoke an argument like this," he sniffed, meeting her nose-to-nose.

"Why question a couple of kits when you can be lecturing Mousepaw and Runningpaw for laying around instead of hunting?" Stonekit and Mistykit nodded and stared at the sleeping siblings.

"Well-"

She cut him off, waving her tail haughtily, sticking her nose up. "Well, that doesn't give you an excuse for being told off by a kit, who in fact is overdue for an apprentice ceremony with her littermates."

"Fine, see you never," the tom growled again, then stalked off.

"Not if I don't see you first!" Mosskit shouted after him, fluffing out her tail. Irritation and a trace of dreaminess floated in her blue eyes, but neither her brother or sister noticed.

"Don't do that again! I think we should let Mosskit do the talking," Stonekit meowed to Mistykit, who scowled and flounced off with Mosskit close behind.

"Wait for me! Mistykit! I didn't mean it!" Stonekit yowled to his littermates, charging off to the lichen den. "Don't be angry!"

"They're a pawful, aren't they?" Bluefur sighed to White-eye, who was grooming her gray pelt. She had decided to stay after her kits became apprentices to help any new queen. White-eye had help take care of Bluefur's litter, acting in place of Snowfur around the kits.

"They are," the pale shecat purred. She stood up and arched her back in a luxurious stretch.

"They left when we were napping, and they found this." She carried the squirrel to her denmate. White-eye gasped and her good eye widened.

"That's fantastic!" She murmured. "The kits should be apprentices by now."

"I asked them to bring Sunstar. Want to share?"

"Sure! He should see this first," White-eye pointed out, licking her lips.

"Sunstar should see what?" The flame furred leader padded in, nodding to the queens and shaking powdery snow from his fur.

"Look! Bluefur's kits caught it!" White-eye meowed excitedly, flicking her tail to the still-warm prey.

His mouth gaped slightly, then he purred in appreciation. "Not even StarClan would believe it! They will be made apprentices today, I insist. They're too overdue," he meowed, eyes glowing.

"That's great, Bluefur!" White-eye trilled, nudging her softly.

"Where's Thrushpelt?" The blue-gray shecat asked. Thrushpelt remained as the father image for the kits. He never betrayed Bluefur's secret of making him father in Oakheart's place. He never questioned the blue-gray queen of the true father, only held his place out of loyalty to his love.

Sunstar's voice snapped Bluefur from her thoughts. "He will be returning with Featherwhisker in a bit. They went herb hunting before the frost killed the leaves."

"Thrushpelt! Thrushpelt! Look!" The kits' voices rang into the nursery, alerting Bluefur.

"Seems he is back," Sunstar purred, stepping back.

"Bluefur! The kits are all over me!" He stumbled in, with Stonekit and Mistykit on his back, tiny claws hooked into his sandy-gray pelt. Snow sprinkled the opening and their fur, indicating a play-fight. The warmth of the cats filled the nursery.

"They went hunting." Her whiskers twitched as they nosed the squirrel.

"I can't believe it." He nudged Stonekit and licked Mistykit. "Where's Mosskit?" He looked around. Bluefur hadn't noticed Mosskit wasn't there.

Silence gripped the cats.

Mistykit piped up quietly. "She went hunting again. I dared her to go near Snakerocks. Winner gets to pick who goes next."

"What? I'll fetch her!" Bluefur jumped up with Thrushpelt, pushing past the brambles. They pricked her fur, but she ignored it, rushing out into the forest in a frenzy. They scrambled up the ravine, sending showers of snow-capped rocks upon Stormtail and his patrol. Bluefur dug her claws in the stone furiously, stumbling over the top.

"Kits!" He growled playfully, pounding the path to Snakerocks.

Snow dusted over their pelts as they shoved through bracken fronds and over fallen logs. Bluefur picked up her scent, along with fresh-kill, and blood. She veered back onto the main pathway, screeching, "This way! This way!"

Mosskit's yowl pierced the leaf-bare air. "Bluefur! Thrushpelt!"

Thrushpelt lengthened his stride, though he limped slightly. His eyes were already looking pained.

They halted behind a bush, staring furiously at the scene above their heads. Mosskit was cowering over a mouse, and two ShadowClan warriors were prowling around her. The little kitten had a wound on her shoulder with blood dripping onto the frosted rocks. "Hmm. Stealing prey, are we?" He glanced at the mouse.

"No! This was in my border! I'm just a kit!"

The gray furred tom shoved Mosskit down the steep ridge. The kit yowled as she hit the frost-speckled ground with a dull thump, where she collapsed into a shuddering heap. The ShadowClan pair stood silhouetted against the cloudy gray sky. A warrior flicked his tail and crowed airily, "Is ThunderClan pathetic enough to send their kits hunting for them?"

The kit barely moved. Only the slight rise and fall of her flank allowed notion of her living. Bluefur felt her heart leap in her throat. _Not my daughter, you fox-hearted cowards!_

The warriors slithered down the rocks and prowled around Mosskit. Her gaze flickered between them warily. "This is what we do to cats who break the rules." The tabby tom with a kinked tail raised a paw with claws unsheathed. She shut her eyes tight, just as Thrushpelt and Bluefur jumped into view. The warriors stopped in their tracks, jumping off Mosskit. She scrambled to her paws, limping for safety behind her mother.

"Get your claws off my daughter!" Bluefur shrieked, leaping on the nearest cat. She tore out pawfuls of tabby fur, feeling the ferocity of a lion ebb in her paws. Thrushpelt hissed insults at the other cat, then barreled him over. The warrior Bluefur attacked screeched as claws scored across his eyes. He rolled away from the ThunderClan warrior's claws and tumbled through the frost. Bluefur launched herself away from the scuffle with her pelt unmarked, coming to stand by Thrushpelt.

"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" Thrushpelt challenged, baring his teeth.

"This kit ran over the border, trying to take ShadowClan prey," the gray tom answered, pointing a hooked claw at Mosskit, then waving his tail toward the Thunderpath.

Bluefur slitted her eyes. "As if an inexperienced, defenseless kit would love to run across the Thunderpath, just let me know."

"So why are you on ThunderClan's territory? Hoping for an innocent kit to harm? Prey to steal? Leaf-bare must not have been kind for you," Thrushpelt resumed, standing in front of his friend and kit protectively, unsheathing his claws.

"No reason. ShadowClan is never desperate. Everycat knows that ThunderClan is going to submit, because they're the weakest in the forest. Will you send your kits to die in battle first?" The tabby tomcat goaded, stepping forward so he was nose to nose with the sandy gray tom. Thrushpelt swiped his claws, catching the warrior on the nose. The tabby lurched backwards into his partner; they turned and fled.

"Brokentail and Boulder. I'll report them to Sunstar and Thistleclaw." Thrushpelt turned, pressing his flank against Bluefur. He looked at Mosskit, gripping her by the scruff. "Let's get back. We have an apprentice ceremony to attend."

The blue-gray shecat looked solemnly at the kit. She looked barely able to respond, let alone walk. Bluefur picked up the mouse between her teeth gently. No use in wasting prey. They padded in grim silence through the snow-laden forest to camp. Thrushpelt staggered down the ravine on the return trip. Fear lurched in Bluefur's heart as he almost collapsed with the kit. They solemnly padded through the gorse and into camp. Bluefur turned to the sandy-gray tom. "I'll find Featherwhisker."

The tom was already hurrying out his den on three paws. Bluefur stepped back as he stumbled past and plastered the cobweb on Mosskit's wounds. Stonekit and Mistykit stared with wide eyes from the nursery, fearing for their sister. Thrushpelt was standing over them with dark concern shadowing his face.

Sunstar hurried over with Thistleclaw by his side. The spiky warrior was already shouting over the clamor of the crowded cats. "We must do something about ShadowClan! They have crossed our border, harmed one of our kits and have broken the warrior code all in one day!"

The flame-pelted leader looked at Mosskit, who dangled from Featherwhisker's jaws. She looked limp like a wet leaf, a piece of fresh-kill, a kit who couldn't become an apprentice. Sunstar looked sternly at his deputy. "I will announce this at the Gathering. ShadowClan will be warned off, as I shall send a patrol into their camp."

Thistleclaw grimaced. "We shouldn't go talk! We should attack them. They have crossed the line."

The ThunderClan leader turned on his second-in-command. "We shall speak at the Gathering! But now, I have more important matters to attend to."

Sunstar bounded across the clearing and leaped onto the smooth, tree-height gray boulder. His pelt flamed in the light. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!

"ShadowClan has crossed our borders, hunted our prey, and injured one of our soon-to-be warriors." Yowls of outrage resonated through the clearing. "We shall not attack unless further provoked."

Fuzzypelt got to his paws. "We should attack! They harmed one of our kits!"

Stormtail nodded. "We should do something."

"Fine." Sunstar swept his green gaze about the warriors gathered below. "We shall double patrols on that side of Fourtrees. Dawn, sunhigh, sunset, and moonhigh patrols will be assigned on the ShadowClan border tomorrow at daybreak."

The Clan murmured in acceptance. Thistleclaw's claws sank into the ground, though his eyes betrayed nothing.

The leader lifted his chin and carried on. "We have two kits joining us this leaf-bare as ThunderClan apprentices. Mistypaw, Stonepaw, come forward."

The pair stepped up into the circle from the nursery, though Stonepaw padded warily. "We're not in trouble? And what about Mosskit?"

Sunstar glanced at the kit warmly. "That's up to your mentors to decide, and Mosskit will have her turn in time, young one.

Sunstar turned to Stonekit, who looked like he would topple over backwards from sitting so straight. "From this moment on, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Stonepaw. Goldenflower, you are ready to have your first apprentice. You will be mentor to this young tom. Goldenflower, you have much energy to help Stonepaw tirelessly, and I'm sure you will treat him with as much respect you receive."

"From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Mistypaw. Thistleclaw, I believe you are ready to take on another apprentice. You will be mentor to her. Thistleclaw, you have shown yourself to be a tactile warrior of ThunderClan with claws battle-ready and an urge to serve your Clan. I hope you train her as well as you did Tigerclaw."

The Clan erupted into cheers. "Stonepaw! Mistypaw!"

Bluefur sighed. _Mosskit should be with them._

Clearly her other two kits though the same, for they kept staring anxiously at the medicine den. They padded over to Bluefur and Thrushpelt and hung their heads. "Mosskit should be Mosspaw right now." Mistypaw muttered. "It was my fault."

Her foster father flicked her spine with his tail. "It's quite alright. We'll deal with ShadowClan."

Mistypaw's eyes lit up with the excitement of battle. "Then we can rip them to shreds for hurting my sister?"

Thistleclaw had padded over from his shaded spot under the Highrock. He swept his tail around her kit, his new apprentice. Clearly overhearing, he meowed, "Someday, you can be the greatest leader of all the Clans. Then you can rip any intruders to shreds."

Thrushpelt added hastily, "Not without reason."

The spiky gray-white-furred tom's eyes glared hard as amber at the sandy-gray cat. Bluefur slitted her eyes as Thistleclaw carried on, leading Mistypaw away.

_You will not have my daughter for your horrible purposes, Thistleclaw!_


End file.
